Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force, have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State, rescuing all 46 students.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni.
According to the statement, the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday at the FGGC facility, which is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
The terrorists reportedly gained access to the facility with the assistance of suspected collaborators in an attempt to abduct the students.
However, alert security personnel swiftly engaged the attackers with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, while the Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force (QRF) immediately reinforced the school. Faced with the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the combined security forces, the terrorists abandoned their mission and fled without carrying out the abduction.
Operation HADIN KAI said parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the exchange of gunfire but stressed that the attack was successfully contained by troops and police personnel.
Following the operation, all 46 students were rescued and evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment and appropriate care.
The military confirmed that all the rescued students were medically stable and that no student was abducted. It, however, expressed regret that some students were fatally struck by sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight.
The military extended its condolences to the families of the deceased students and assured the public that efforts were ongoing to protect lives, educational institutions and other critical infrastructure across the North-East.
It added that exploitation of the incident was ongoing to identify and arrest the suspected collaborators, while troops and other security agencies were pursuing the fleeing terrorists.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining relentless pressure on terrorist groups, denying them freedom of action, dismantling their operational capabilities, and ensuring that educational institutions and other critical infrastructure across the North-East remain safe and secure.
